Renault may be planning to revive the storied Alpine name for a new sports car, but an Italian coachbuilder seems to have beat it to the punch with a model of its own, featuring retro styling inspired by the Alpine A108.
Called the Willys AW 380 Berlinetta, it was built by Maggiora and Carrozzeria Viotti and unveiled at the Bologna Motor Show this week.
The AW380 Berlinetta pays tribute to a fairly esoteric bit of sports-car history involving two unlikely partners.
From 1962 to 1966, the Alpine A108 was built under license in Brazil by Willys-Overland, the carmaker that famously popularized Jeep. Renamed Willys Interlagos, it was likely the first sports car built in Brazil, with 822 examples constructed.
That’s why the AW380 Berlinetta wears the Willys name, and retro styling from one of France’s most iconic car brands. It’s rendered in carbon fiber, giving the car a low estimated curb weight of just 2,976 pounds.
Underneath that racy bodywork is a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V6, producing an impressive 610 horsepower and 612 pound-feet of torque.
The claimed performance numbers sound more supercar than sports car. The AW380 Berlinetta can do 0 to 62 mph in 2.7 seconds, and reach a top speed of 210 mph.
Despite its Franco-American-Brazilian heritage, the AW380 Berlinetta will be built in Turin, Italy. Only 110 examples of this highly improbable car will be made, and they’ll probably cost a pretty penny.
